Arkham
Arkham is a small city or large town(the residents refer to it as a town) located in Essex County, Massachusetts. It is the home of Miskatonic University and the location of the Alley. The Miskatonic River flows through the middle, thus bisecting the community into two separate sections. These are called Northside and Southside. Map of Arkham Location Arkham is a 40 minute drive from Boston. It is also accessible from trains of the MBTA(Metropolitan Boston Transit Authority), as well as a small community airport. During the 20's, Arkham was considered a rural community, but it is today a suburb of Boston. Northside The north side of Arkham is home to the downtown area. This includes most of the civic buildings; including city hall, police headquarters, and a civic center. It also here that can be found the Alley, Miskatonic Books, Dweeb's Video, and the apartment building of Allison Flynn and Marisa Moore. Southside On the south side of Arkham can be found the campus of Miskatonic University, the Miskatonic Museum, and the Hotel Miskatonic. History Precolonial Though Arkham was founded in 1667, it is important to note that the area had long been home to the Miskatonic, a Native American tribe. Long-regarded by historians as a subdivision of the Wampanoags, we now know they were an entirely separate people, with differences ranging from drastically different dialects (far more guttural) to incredibly diverse religious beliefs (the Western Hills of Arkham are filled with bizarre rock formations believed to have been constructed by the Miskatonic and used during rituals). The Miskatonic were aggressive and dangerous, and were feared and left alone by other Massachusetts’ tribes. Contrary to much of Native American culture, in which all life is given a holy respect, the Miskatonic continued to make sacrificial offerings (both human and animal) during religious ceremonies. Their beliefs centered around worship for great gods of the deepest oceans, who would reward their devotion and sacrifices with plentiful fish harvests. Like the unexplained disappearance of the Anasazi tribe of New Mexico, the Miskatonic is another of history’s unsolved mysteries. At some point during the mid-1500’s, the entire Miskatonic tribe vanished without a trace. Some historians attribute this to the harsh New England climate, while others suspect that frequent disputes with neighboring tribes eventually culminated in a fatal war with the Wampanoags. However, local Indian legend tells of a mass “transmigration of the body,” in which the Miskatonic assumed a fish-like form similar to the beings they worshiped and left the land for a new life underwater.http://www.arkham-mass.com/history.shtml Colonial It is the Great Fire of London in 1666 that is to thank for the founding of Arkham. Thousands were left homeless by the fire. Charles II fearing rebellion, asked towns in England to take in the homeless. A minor aristocrat by the name of John Arkham saw an opportunity in this and helped recruit, finance, and transport these potential colonists to a place in the Miskatonic Valley. Having visited the area before, he knew of a point in the river, where lay an island. Building bridges to the island and then opposite shore of the river, would allow the town to grow on both sides. It could become an important trade route to the frontier and Boston, as well as being a important stop of sending goods for shipment to Salem and Kingsport and then to England. Arkham soon grew due to the efforts of the colonists. It soon had it's population grow as a result of more liberal minded citizens of Boston moving there from the conservative Puritans of that city. It was these newcomers who helped found Arkham College, the predecessor of Miskatonic University. Arkham found itself involved in the hysteria of the Salem Witch Trials, when several refugees fled Salem to Arkham. Among them Keziah Mason, whose house is now a museum in Arkham. The hysteria threatened to tear the town apart. When innocent people were accused of witchcraft, whose only crime was preaching moderation.The town's religious leaders saw it had gone too far. The town continued to grow into the 18th century. With Arkham College growing along with it. However the French and Indian War, put a damper on this growth. As the war slowed trade down as well as keeping students away to fight. This downturn almost resulted in the college closing down. But in 1765 a bequest from sea captain Jeremiah Orne gave new life to the school and the town. The wealth of the town was further enhanced when several of the families became privateers during the Revolutionary War. In a town noted for it's more liberal views, it should not be a surprise that many of the citizens took up arms to fight for independence. 19th Century Up to this point, Arkham was known as a farming community and a small port of entry. But in the early beginnings of the United States, it saw this status as a port threatened by Boston, Salem, and, Kingsport. But the beginning of the Industrial Revolution changed that. Textile factories were built, followed by other factories later in the century. Thus industry became an important part of the Arkham economy. When the Civil War started, many of Arkham's young men joined the 23rd Massachusetts to fight. After the war new industry moved into the area. The future looked bright for the town as it continued to grow.This changed in 1888 when the Miskatonic River flooded the area around Arkham. Several of the factories were damaged as a result. Many never reopened as new textiles factories opened in the South, after the Civil War. Their closeness to the cotton fields, meant that Northern factories found it hard to compete. The new center of Arkham's economy became Miskatonic University. Having been built up and expanded prior too and after the war. Expanding from a liberal arts school to include schools of business, law, and medicine. The town economy transformed to support the school, as Arkham entered the new century. 20th Century The new century did not bode well for the town. In 1905 a typhoid outbreak killed dozens in the town, including John Halsey the Dean of Medicine at Miskatonic University. He died trying to save many of his fellow citizens. A statute was placed on the Quad of MU in memorial. Less than a dozen years after this incident, saw the outbreak of the First World War. Several of Arkham's citizens volunteered to fight " to make the world safe for democracy". Among them was Dr. Herbert West, whose disappearance in 1921 is still a mystery to this day. But the "Roarin' 20s" saw the town enlarge as new factories were built to take advantage of the booming economy. But in Arkham, this period is also a period of several mysteries. This includes the mysterious deaths of several families and state policeman in 1928,the infamous raid on Innsmouth in February of that year, and the a fore mentioned disappearance of Herbert West. But nothing could prepare Arkham ,or the nation, for the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression that followed. Virtually overnight factories closed, putting workers into the ranks of the unemployed. Families found themselves evicted from their homes. Crime increased in the area. The death of Edward Derby and his wife Asenath and then the arson of their home in 1932 was the biggest shock. But within two years FDR and his New Deal changed the hopelessness to hope. The Works Progress Administration(WPA) helped to build retaining walls along the river, bridges, and many of the area schools still in use to the present day. The start of the Second World War helped to complete the economic recovery of the area. While young men in droves went to to fight. The shuttered factories in the area were reopened and retooled to help provide the equipment to fight the war. Several of these factories remain open in the present, continuing to be part of the defense industry. When the war was over, many of those young men took advantage of the GI Bill to attend Miskatonic University and helped to expand industry in the area. The 1980s saw the software industry expand in the area along Route 128. This was helped by so many tech orientated universities in the area including Harvard, MIT, and of course MU. In the last decade, genetic and biomedical startups have started to show up in the area. Showing new technology will continue to chart a course for the area. Category:Locations Category:Infested Alley